the more his interest as an artist, and, indirectly, as a student
of character, was deepened. If she had no mind worth naming he
would give the problem up to the solution of time, which, however,
promised nothing but a gradual fading away of all beauty, and the
intensifying of inward deformity until fully reproduced in outward
ugliness.





Chapter VII. Another Feminine Problem.




Early on Monday morning, Mr. Mayhew hastened from the breakfast-table
to the stage. His wife and daughter were not down to see him
off, and he seemed desirous of shunning all recognition. With
the exception that that his eyes were heavy and bloodshot from his
debauch, his face had the same dreary, apathetic expression which
Van Berg had noted on his arrival. And so he went back to his
city office, where, fortunately for him, mechanical routine brought
golden rewards, since he was in no state for business enterprise.

From his appearance, Van Berg could not help surmising what had been
his condition the previous day. Indeed Stanton, with a contemptuous
shrug, had the same as said on Sabbath evening, that his uncle had
"dropped into the old slough." Although neither of the young men
knew how great an impetus Ida had given her father towards such